In a variety of subterranean formations, hydrocarbon recovery can be enhanced by implementing recovery technologies, such as hydraulic fracturing techniques. The recovery technologies may be useful with producing reservoirs having low permeability, such as gas shales. The use of hydraulic fracturing techniques can be used to improve a natural fracture network by creating and propping a complex fracture network which enables higher well productivity. In many types of reservoir structures, however, complex fracture networks are difficult to model in a manner which provides a useful simulation of fluid flow for a given reservoir.